What Pirates fans should expect from Esmerlyn Valdez after surprise promotion

The Pirates have kept pace in the surprisingly competitive NL Central thus far, but a team-wide offensive slump is threatening Pittsburgh’s standing. Enter slugging prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, the most recent youngster to get the call to the Majors. Having played less than 100 games above High-A, Valdez comes with considerable risk, but he also has the skills to bring the Pirates great rewards.

Just over a year ago, Valdez didn’t even earn a spot on FanGraphs’ top Pirates prospects list, being lumped in with Jase Bowen, Matt Gorski, and Bralyn Brazoban as powerful hitters with a real strikeout problem. Similarly, MLB.com left him off their top 30 list. Now, he’s a top-10 prospect in the system and Pittsburgh bound. How exactly did he accomplish this turnaround?

Pirates' Esmerlyn Valdez is finally getting his reward for complete transformation

First, Valdez filled out. From signing as a 17-year-old international free agent in 2021, Valdez has added more than 50 pounds to his 6-foot-2 frame. That muscle has translated to impressive power. He’s well on his way to his third consecutive 25-plus homer season. Prior to his call-up, he had hit five homers over his previous five games.

At the same time, Valdez has improved his plate approach, cutting his strikeout rate from 24.6% in 2025 to 21.1% in 2026 and raising his walk rate from 10.6% to 17%. Blake Butler, his manager at High-A Greensboro, remarked that Valdez doesn’t step to the plate hoping to hit a homer. Rather, “he was committed to wanting to hit .300.” During his time in Greensboro, Valdez hit .303. He hit .368 in the Arizona Fall League last November.

It’s not fair to assume that Valdez will hit .300 or launch 20 homers in the big leagues. After all, batting averages are at their lowest mark since 1968. Still, the slugger could be the power-first right fielder that the Pirates need as well as an occasional backup for Spencer Horwitz at first base.

The Pirates have had success leaning on Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and a revolving door of other pitching prospects (Jared Jones, Mike Burrows, Braxton Ashcraft, Hunter Barco, among others). A similar pattern may be playing out with Konnor Griffin and the host of role players that have been promoted this season (Nick Yorke, Jhostynxon Garcia, Billy Cook, etc.). It only takes one breakout to infuse the team with energy, and Valdez could be that player.

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